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Blitzing the NFL With Moral Preening

Politicians and the media huddle up to see who can score the most points for virtuous outrage.

By

Joseph Epstein

Updated Sept. 21, 2014 11:53 p.m. ET

The NFL's wife-beating, child-abusing troubles, as they continue to deepen, will have at least one feel-good angle: The people it will make feel good are those who get to pronounce upon it, as many already are, expressing shock, moral outrage, dudgeon to the highest power.

Politicians will love it. One can see those stern-faced congressmen taking strong stands against doing violence to women and children—and hoping, while doing so, to make the evening news. Kirsten Gillibrand, the Democratic senator from New York, has already...